Two grandfathers have called for their fellow grandads to help fight poor child literacy by reading to their grandchildren.

Ahead of National Grandparents Day, Lyme-Regis based authors Geoff Baker and David Austin want their fellow grandads to mark the day by helping to battle against illiteracy.

The pair are urging the grandads to support busy parents who do not have the time to read frequently enough to their own children.

The call comes following Education Minister Damian Hinds' efforts to find new ways to boost alarming rates of poor child literacy.

Mr Hinds revealed that 28 per cent of children finish their reception year without the early communication and reading skills needed to thrive, and proposed to solve this by launching a competition to develop high-tech apps to help children with reading.

Research in the USA has revealed that reading to grandchildren is one of the most important roles for a grandparent, something Geoff and David feel would be more beneficial than an app.

Oxford University also found that 44 per cent of 1,000 parents of six to 11 year-olds revealed they rarely or never read to their children after their seventh birthday.

Geoff said: "We believe that the Secretary of State is wrong in suggesting than an app can be a substitute for the traditional, tried-and-tested method of a family member reading to a child.

"The research is clear, as increasing number of parents are both working and left with little time to read to their children, grandparents must now take on more of this vital role, especially grandfathers."

Geoff and David have created Silly Grandad Books,which aim to be playful and humourous, and designed to be read by grandparents.

The first in the series of Silly Grandad Books by Geoff and David are the 'Sandy the Wonder Pig' stories, six tales from Lyme Regis of the adventures of a guinea pig and his animal friends, with another six stories currently being made.

Geoff said: "Besides being a blessing, it's an important role to be a grandad, not least as we can help our grandchildren do better in life.

"As Grandparents Day is marked on Sunday, October 7, we'd like to see grandads everywhere make that the day when they sign up to help to be an at-home guard for a brighter future for our grandchildren, and join the 'Grandads' Army' for this reading drive."

Baker and Austin's 'Sandy the Winder Pig' books, priced £3 to £4.50, are available from Serendip bookshop in Lyme Regis and from Amazon.

For more information, you can visit facebook.com/groups/grandadsarmy